Unit 1 The online world.

Learning Aim B
Revision Booklet

Aaron

Point of Presence(PoP):
An access point to the internet. Normally, it is a location which contains all of the hardware which allows internet users access to the
internet. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) may operate several
PoPs in their area to allow good access to the internet.

Network access point(NaP):

It an interchange between networks within the internet. It allows
ISPs to interconnect with each other.

Internet Protocol(Ip):
An internet protocol is an Ip address which every computer system
or mobile phone device connected to the internet has. Every system that uses the internet has a unique Ip address.

Transmission control protocol(TcP):

Its a protocol that take data from a users application program and
then passes on the program to the I[ address to transfer it across
the internet.

File transfer protocol (FtP):

This type of protocol allows files to transfer files from one computer to another trough a tcp based network. It is often used to download things onto your computer from a different internet server or
upload webpage that you have created.

Isp service:
As well as providing a gateway to the internet, ISPs normally provide extra services such as emails. They also provide webspace to
develop the websites, technical support and trouble shooting.

The definition of Network:

A group of computers that are connected together by
communication channels and that have the compatibility
of sending/receiving information

The definition of Protocol:

Communication protocol is a set of rules that allows a
computer system to connect with a different system.

Lesson 2Internet infrastructure

Server: A computer or program which runs purely to serve the needs of

other computers. It runs special server software to service the requirements of the users (clients). There are several types of servers, including
file servers and printer servers on a local area network (LAN), and web and
email servers that manage communication with the internet.
ClientA computer which uses the services provided by the server.
RouterA piece of hardware that connects two or more networks. In relation to the internet, data from the ISP is sent into the network and the
router then directs the data packets to the correct destinations. The router also handles data travelling in the other direction. Routers can be described as directors of traffic for the networks
Connecting backboneThe main connecting data routes between large
networks on the internet and smaller networks in local regions.

What is meant by the term bandwidth?

Bandwidth is a measure of the available capacity of a network (to
carry data) measured in bits per second.
What happens if there is insufficient bandwidth?
Insufficient bandwidth can result in websites in websites and servers
appearing to run very slowly.
Connection

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Used by wirelessenabled devices

(computers, mobiles,
smartphones,
etc.) to log in to

Not fixed to a

Need to have
access to a wireless hub.

method

Wireless

stationary computer.

Can be less secure than wired

connections.

the internet.
Broadband

A wired connection to a broadband supplier.

Normally the connection is via a
network card in

Broadband connections can

give better connection and are
usually faster
than dial-up.

Requires a base
which is wired in,
so it is less flexible than wireless.

Dial-up

A wired connection
via a conventional
telephone line,
which needs a modem to convert
signals to and from
analogue for transmission.

Can use existing

telephone circuits, which is
useful in some
areas

Older technology
gives poor reception at times. The
conversion from
digital to analogue
signals can cause
errors.

Lesson 3
Worldwide web 1

How are webpages connected? What does a hyperlink do?

All webpages have a html address which is then converted
to present a web page via your online server. A hyperlink is
a link that, when clicked on, takes the website reader to
another web page on the website or to a different website.

What is a web server?

A webservers job is to deliver web pages to a user. Websites are held on a computer called a web server , which is
connected to the internet and delivers web pages to users
computers. When an internet user wants to look at a web
page from a specific website, it is the web servers job to
deliver (download) those pages to the users computer.
Web pages are viewed through web browsers . These are
software application programs which allow internet users
to access, retrieve and view information on the internet.
Internet Explorer and Firefox are two examples of web
browsers which you can use. It is the web browser which
reads document fi les written in Hypertext Markup Language (HtML) and translates them into viewable web pages.

What is html and why do we need it?

HTML is a computer language used to create web pages. You can create
HTML directly in the language itself or by using authoring software (such as
Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression) which uses templates
and wizards to create HTML code. HTML fi les usually have a fi lename
with .htm or.html as the fi le extension; for example document.html

Lesson 4
Search Engines

Search engines:
Search engines work by retrieving information from the HTML of web pages
and storing this on an indexed database. In a search engine, you type in what
you are looking for then the search engines send bots, crawlers and spiders.
These travel via we blinks and process key information according to your
search, these web links will then be presented to you, the key information
processed (the relevant information) is stalled on a search engines Index database. However search engines are commercial business, business owners
pay the search engines to have there website displayed higher in the rankings.
Web pages are searched for using a uniform resource locator (uRL) , which
is a string of characters that identify a particular web page on the internet.
Every web page has a unique URL. URLs are made up of three components.

Lesson 5emails
Address book:
A facility on a computer or mobile phone device which allows a user to
store details of their personal contacts
Attachments:
An extra part or extensions that is or may be attached to something to perform a particular function
Advantages of emails:
Emails are easy to use. You can organise your daily correspondence, send
and receive electronic messages also save them on your computer .
Also emails are fast, they are delivered at once around the world. No other
form of written communication is as fast as an email.
The language used in emails is simple and informal which makes it easier to
read.
When you reply to an email you can attach the original message so that
when you answer the recipient knows what you are talking about. This is
important if you get a lot of emails a day.
Disadvantages of emails:
Emails may carry viruses. These are small programmes that can harm your computer
system. They can read out your email address book and send themselves to a number of
people based anywhere in the world.
Many people send unwanted emails to one another. These are called spam mails. It
takes a lot of time to filter out the unwanted emails from those that are really important.
Emails cannot really be used for official business documents. Hey may be lost and you
cannot sign them.
Email protocols:
If I send an email to someone , it will be transferred to the server using POP3. by SMTP it
then gets transferred to another e-mail server.

Lesson 6:
UTP/STP:
This is unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables are basic pair of cables
twisted together. Shielded twisted pair (STP) cables are similar but
also have a foil shielding. The maximum data transfer rate is 20
Mbps, with 100 m maximum range. The benefits of this is twisting
cancels out some interference its also very low cost and adaptable.
However the disadvantages of this is slower and with less capacity
than other cables, and can only be used over short distance. An example of how this is used is as an analogue telephone network.
Coaxial:
This is an solid wire core separated from a copper-braided outer cable by a plastic insulation sheath. The inner cable transmits the data
and the outer cable connects to earth. The maximum data transfer
rate is 1,000 Mbps (or more for category 7 cable) and maximum rage
range is 100 m . The benefits is that this is method is fast and reliable. On the other hand, this costs more than UTP/ STP and susceptible to noise. This could be a connection to cable TV networks.
Fibre optic :
This transmission is a glass or plastic cables which use total internal
reflection of light to transmit data. Normally uses LED or laser visible
light, although infrared has also been used. The maximum data
transfer rate is 2.4 Gbps (higher has been achieved in laboratory
testing) and the maximum range is 50 km. the benefits of this is that
this method is fast and also works over long distances with little interferences. The limitations is, complex connection and termination
equipment . The cable networks use fibre from their source to the
distribution panels in the street. From there they use coaxial cable to
individual households.

Lesson 7
Parallel transmission:
In parallel transmission, a number of bits of data are transmitted simultaneously over an equal number of wires/channels. This allows the bits in a whole byte
of information to be transmitted together. It has a short range, with an absolute maximum of around 5 metres. Parallel transmission used to be popular for
connecting printers to computers but it is rarely used these days in computing
because of its cost and limited range. Byte In computing and telecommunications, a byte is unit of digital information which commonly consists of eight bits. (See page 19 for a definition of bits.) Key term
There has been some increased usage of parallel approaches in
radio frequency (RF) transmissions. Parallel buses are still used
within central processing units (CPU). Further details can be
found in Unit 2 Technology systems.

Serial transmission:
In serial transmission, bits are transmitted one at a time
over a single wire/channel. This reduces the cost of the
cable, but gives a slower rate of data transfer. There is
also some additional complexity, as bytes have to be dis-

Universal Serial Bus (USB):

Is a serial transmission method which was
introduced to make many of the connections
to a computer look the same. Nowadays USB
is used in a wide variety of devices, such as

Transmission
Mode

Description

Simplex
transmission:

Sends data in one direction online

(e.g. radio broadcast)

Half-duplex
transmission:

Allows two way communication but

not at the same time

Full duplex
transmission:

Allows two way communication at the

same time

representation

Bi-directional transmission:
Simply means to be able to send transitions both ways. For
example Half-duplex transmission and full duplex transmission both use Bi-directional transmission how simplex
transmission does not.